Video of resident Ojai taxidermist goes viral

Ojai Taxidermist a YouTube Sensation? Nope, It's Just Chuck Testa

Chuck Testa, owner of Ojai Valley Taxidermy, poses with one of his preserved deers at Testa's residence and workshop in Ojai. The shirt reading, "Nope, it's Chuck Testa", is the line Testa used in the ad. Testa, in the business of preserving animals for more than 20 years, became an overnight YouTube sensation after a video ad of his business hit the web, garnering 4.8 million hits.

Special to The Star

When searching for the name "Chuck" on YouTube, one would expect celebrities to automatically appear.

There is Chuck Norris, Chuck Berry and even Chuckie, the devilish doll of the horror movie fame.

Among these most searched Chucks, however, is an unfamiliar one that has skyrocketed to the top five: Ojai's own Chuck Testa, resident taxidermist.

For the past 12 years, Testa has operated his business, Ojai Valley Taxidermy, from his home virtually unrecognized except by neighbors, friends, family and hunters who go to Testa for his unique service.

During the past three weeks, however, the 54-year old Testa has become a YouTube sensation thanks to a commercial on his business that went viral two weeks ago. As of Wednesday afternoon, the video had recorded 4.8 million hits.

"It's bizarre because you are looking at a guy who doesn't even own a cellphone," Testa said with a chuckle. "People are shocked that I am real. I'm not an actor and I'm really a taxidermist, not a comedian. I really didn't understand what I was getting myself into."

Link Neal and Rhett McLaughlin shot the video "Ojai Valley Taxidermy" for their "Commercial Kings" series on the cable network Independent Film Channel. As the concept of the reality show goes, Rhett and Link find offbeat businesses to feature on a commercial and hopefully garner positive attention.

The show's producers approached Testa in May and asked him to record a short video about who he is and about his business. If chosen, Neal and McLaughlin would direct a commercial for the business for free.

Testa, who rarely watches cable TV, said he thought the offer was a hoax.

"I didn't understand what they wanted at first," Testa said. "I told them, 'Look, I'm broke and I can't afford a commercial call somebody else.' I thought it was a scam."

After producers finally convinced Testa they were legitimate, the directors and crew arrived in Ojai a few weeks later and shot the 65-second commercial over three and a half days.

"We thought a taxidermist would be an interesting challenge and the casting department looked around and they found Ojai Valley Taxidermy," Neal said. "We saw a little footage of Chuck and his dry sense of humor came through and we immediately thought he would be perfect."

They shot most of it in Testa's backyard and Ojai neighborhood and used the "most cooperative" actors — Testa's preserved animals, which include a coyote, antelope, a rhino, a pheasant and a California black bear.

In the video, Testa says he "specializes in the most lifelike dead animals around" — so lifelike that his preserved antelope is seen driving a car. It's Testa's deadpan delivery of his famous catchphrase, "Nope, it's Chuck Testa," that turned the seemingly crudely shot commercial into a humorous instant Web hit.

While IFC aired the episode featuring Ojai Valley Taxidermy in July, the video did not go viral until Testa's future son-in-law, Oliver Lee, decided to load the commercial on YouTube on Aug. 14.

Lee believes it was when someone posted the video link to reddit.com that the 65-second video became instantly popular.

Within hours after posting the video, the Testa's phone started ringing off the hook.

"He's embraced it because that is his personality," Lee said. "People have said he has less emotion than the animals. Chuck is anything but that, which makes it so funny."

Sheriff's Deputy Don Beese, who is learning the taxidermy trade from Testa as his apprentice, said the attention hasn't changed things too much at the shop other than the barrage of phone calls at all hours of the day and night.

"He's a guru in the industry, and now he's a hit," Beese said. "Chuck is funny, so I'm not so surprised the commercial is popular. He is definitely a character. It hasn't changed him at all, but the sudden fame has a big learning curve."

There are random calls from young men who claim to have a dead bear in their bed. There are even calls from female fans who want to meet Chuck.

"My wife erases those messages right away," Testa said with a laugh. "We're having fun with it. I didn't think I would become the "Nope Guy." I really should've thought it through before I put my phone number for millions of people to see, but we never thought the response would be like this."

Testa, who has been in the taxidermy business for nearly 30 years, managed his father's Baskin-Robins branch in Venice Beach before he decided to take on preserving wildlife. A World War II buff and avid motorcyclist, Testa said he decided to change careers after he saw an advertisement in a hunting magazine for training taxidermists.

His fascination for the craft, however, began when he was a young boy when he would walk pass studio lots where props for movies that included massive preserved animals were stored.

While many of the commercials created by Neal and McLaughlin have garnered millions of Web hits, the Ojai Valley Taxidermy commercial went viral the quickest, Neal said. IFC is currently in talks to see whether or not "Commercial Kings" will be renewed for a second season.

"The popularity of the commercial has also been great timing for us so everybody wins, hopefully," Neal said. "The video went viral and became a meme in it's own right. I have an appreciation for that now because people can apply what they see in a commercial into their everyday conversation. I am just happy we are able to help Chuck. As far as hits go, this is one for the record books."

Testa hopes people will keep visiting his website and taxidermy inquiries will continue even after his "15 minutes of fame" ends. For now, the Testas' home phone continues to ring off the hook. Requests for radio interviews and other media also keep coming, said Testa's wife, Wendy.

"Although this video is funny, and we want this to keep going for a while, at the end of the day and the attention dies down, he is still going to do his taxidermy," Lee said. "We are hoping people will understand that and this actually will bring more business in."